Averii (Nightmare)
"Death-Ray duty's one of the best duties. Why? Because I get to kill you-with 'LIGHT!"'' From his first heartbeat, Averii's life was owned by the military. For a hundred years, what little freedom he had as he was pitted against the other smeets would be strangled. For a hundred years, one of the only comforts he would know was his weapon and the target. For a hundred years, he fought tooth and nail to survive the hell that was the 'Academy' of Irk. One could only imagine how his blood boiled when this Averii discovered how much worse the world above really was. Ten years later, he had the opportunity to break from it all and do his own thing. For the last 114 years, he's done just that. Not to be confused for his loyalist counterpart. TL;DR - Biography Short Version Born in a world where infants are forced to fight to the death in the first hour of their lives, Nightmare Averii had a rather bad time in the Academy. Partially blinded at a young age by a plasma blast, he was one of the most skilled in his generation despite this, and made friends with Entra after killing her sparring partner, Lurch, in a lethal training duel. Sent through 100 years of hellish gladitorial combat that his superiors called 'training', Ave was conscripted by a Nightmare Shipmaster named Talbolt. Put in command of a squad he never wanted, Averii, Entra, Lek, and Mit begrudgingly got along and did their jobs. Then, Entra had an idea, and to this end she wrapped Averii around her finger and began to have them climb the chain of command, one link at a time. Her ideas were then dashed on the rocks when Averii wrapped ''everyone else ''around his finger, revolted and took over the ship, and killed their captain before naming himself the new one. Thus was the story behind the creation of one of the most infamous traitors in recent history, Shipmaster Averii, his mistress Entra, and their Arraakeen Wraiths. Long Version Born awake in the bowels of Nightmare Irk, Ave was immediately fused to his PAK and given all the information he'd need for the next few minutes before he was dumped into a small arena as part of the initial Academy Induction. Armed with a defective and centuries-old shockspear, used by thousands before him, Averii got his first weapon 45 minutes after his unceremonious birth. Compared to the normal academy, the forced free-for-alls that newborns are forced through immediately paint the Irken Academy as a brutal and uncompromising place. Where it wasn't needed, a simulation would not be used, and instead live-fire exercises and frighteningly real situations were utilized. Those who died would be discarded from memory, regarded as failures. Those who lived, however, after the century of punishment and restriction in the Academy, would move on to forced military service. Notably, Nightmare Averii would suffer permanent damage to his eyes at a young age, turning them a shade of purple and partially blinding him. However, he'd later win an implant that would fix the issues with his vision, after, oddly enough, beating down Training Overseers who were initially meant to punish him for an unsatisfactory performance. He'd also kill Lurch's Nightmare Counterpart early on in a rather similar fashion to 'Real' Ave, and would become the Sparring Partner of Nightmare Entra in the academy. As he graduated from the Academy, Averii's generation of surviving cadets was picked apart and divided, first by performance, then by Officer Handpicking, and finally by AI selection. Ave would find himself handpicked by Shipmaster (or 'Captain') Talbolt of the ''Vengeance, and assigned as leader of a small squad consisting of he, Mit, Lek, and Entra. Forced into service, they were all bitter, especially so with the latter two (Entra feeling cheated out of a Navigator's Position, and Lek feeling cheated out of a position as Squad Leader). Begrudgingly, however, they adjusted to their positions over the next few years. Then, however, four years on, they grew dissatisfied with their position on the chain of command, and under Entra's direction, Ave hatched a scheme to have them all climb it. Coincidentally, this Entra started her relationship with Averii shortly before proposing an advancement up the ladder. Six years later, Averii, becoming one of the most influential officers aboard, and sickened by the monotony of service, then broke from the plan. Despite her initial protests, Ave publicly challenged the authority of Talbolt (and the Empire), soon sparking a rapidly growing revolt that was accelerated and assisted by the key positions that the rest of his team occupied. Soon after, Averii publicly challenged Talbolt to a duel, and despite a hard fight, killed him by frying his heart. What little resistance the loyal crew had soon crumbled, and Averii became a freshly crowned Shipmaster, with Entra by his side. Nightmare Averii took command of the ship, broke from the Empire, and went rogue, having earned the loyalty of the revolting crew. Labelled a Traitor, Averii, the Vengeance, and all hands then disappeared in the'' Giedi Secundus System before a retaliation Battle Group could be sent to deal with the rogues. With no signs of the vessel, the group disbanded only a few weeks into the search A few months later, a ship with an identical registration appeared above the small garrison on then-relatively unexplored Arraak Prime, shortly before the base was thought to have been completely destroyed by Orbital Bombardment. Analysis of scans taken before it's annihilation reveal that the ship was rechristened as the ''Revenant, ''with the crew contacting the facility under the moniker of 'The Arraakeen Wraiths'. This was the first of various small and unexpected strikes on Imperial Facilities in the area, with the sector soon designated a hazard. Retaliation Fleets would arrive, but find nothing each time, sparking the tales of the increasingly infamous and self-named Pirates, especially so with their Captain and his Mistress. Today, 'Shipmaster' Averii is considered a Traitor to the Empire, armed, dangerous, and elusive. Biography '''Incomplete!' Academy Years Birth and Overview The first time he opened his mouth to speak was the first time Averii felt pain. Born about 17 decades ago in the bowels of 'Nightmare' Irk, the young smeet was immediately fused with his PAK and given all necessary knowledge to survive - then, unceremoniously dumped into a small, dark, and filthy arena. The first time he took up arms was less than 45 minutes following his birth. Handed a rusty, defective shockspear centuries older than him, the aching smeet, still processing the knowledge in his mind, was thrust into combat against three other newborns. The only thing going through his mind as the Nightmare Irken picked up the weapon: Kill. So much information swam in their mind, but like most others, a word, more of a command than a mere word, barked in their mind; Kill. So, only a few minutes later, shocked, shaking, bloodied, and beaten, young Averii made his first kill and ended the life of another small form like him. Then, and only then, did he finally enter the Academy. Thus was the first hour of life for many smeets born within the bowels of this alternate world. Designed to purge the weak and unworthy before they wasted significant amounts of effort, in contrast to the Academy of the 'Real' Irk, the Nightmare Academy strained all it's forcibly conscripted cadets to the limits, and those who snapped - much like Averii's first opponents - would not survive. The safety net provided by virtual simulations did not exist, for the most part. In it's place? Arenas, much like the proving ground 45-minute-old Averii was dumped into, served as a Cadet's daily challenge. Survive the Arena, and you might just make it out alive - something that Averii would go on to do. Not before enduring a century of it, however, in addition to endless rivals, traitors, and oppression. Notable Events, Facts, and Differences Due to the sheer amount of things one would go through after 100 years in the Academy, the traditional paragraphs have been forgone for a simple list, serving both as trivia and fact vendor. * Due to the brutality and negligence of the alternate world, as well as the live combat exercises, this Averii would accumulate many unhealed and permanent scars. ** Nightmare Averii was actually partially blinded by a plasma blast near his face. * Averii would duel Lurch's nightmare counterpart early on in his Academy Years, and end up killing him to please the Overseers. ** Averii and Entra would become sparring partners after he killed Lurch, which formed the seed of their future partnership. * Early on, Averii would learn to trust almost no one, after being betrayed by a group of 'friends'. Despite this, he'd still befriend Mit. * Averii would not befriend Lek until after they left the Academy, becoming fierce rivals in the Nightmare universe. * Somewhere past halfway through his years in the Academy, Averii once subdued a group of Training Overseers initially meant to punish him. He earned a reward for his combat performance, despite his attacking of the staff. ** Said reward were a set of implants and enhancements designed to serve as the 'perfect set' of antennae and eyes... The problem is, they cost him his organic eyes. * Nightmare Averii actually specializes more in close-quarters weapons than the 'Real' Averii, due to his damaged vision as well as his Nightmare Training forcing him to adapt. ** However, he developed a dislike of the Shock-Spear, and preferred to use things like Stun-Claws. * Nightmare Averii, in the few simulations they DID have, would find himself a better Ship Captain or Fleet Commander than a Pilot. ** This instilled some of his desire to get his own Ship Command. ** This also means that Nightmare Averii is a worse pilot than the 'True' Averii. Military Service Conscription Surviving his century of torment and hardships that was the Academy, Averii had hoped for a bit of freedom once he finally graduated. However, as his class was brought to the surface of Nightmare Irk, they were surrounded by armed guards, and divided into groups based on their performance over the last hundred years in the academy. Ordered to stand at attention, many officers came in, assessing each group carefully. Slowly, over the next few hours, each group shrank as the officers left with fresh soldiers, regardless of any protests the latter would have, and the initial conscription would be completed. Those left would be processed by an AI or a Control Brain, and automatically assigned a posting; something Averii would not go through as he was marched away to begin his service aboard VT-0426, the Vengeance. Hand-picked by Captain Talbolt, Averii was forced into the leadership position of a squad he never wanted, consisting of Field-Tech Entra, Combat Engineer Mit, and his Sharpshooter and Second in Command, Lek. In the initial week of their forced service aboard the ship, they endured both the rigorous and sometimes absurd demands of the 'Shipmaster' (A more archaic designation for 'Captain' that Talbolt insisted on holding on to), as well as eachother. Constantly, they were at one-another's throats (except for Mit, who entered a zen-like state of acceptance) due to a potentially explosive mix of emotions and ambition. Lek and Ave were at odds due to the latter's state as Squad Leader, and Entra was generally bitter all around, cheated out of her long-desired position as a Navigator. Eventually, whether they liked it or not, the Vengeance would make them brothers (and sister), and they eventually settled in despite their forced service. Thus, Squad 223 was born. Notable Events, Facts, and Differences * Ave served as a 'Runner', which is the Nightmare equivalent of a Light Specialist/Infantryman. * Fought mostly against Vortians. * He specialized in Jetpack/Thruster use, which, when combined with the electrified metal blades that were the Stun-Claws, were quite devastating in combat. * Expressed a distaste of his forced military service. * Was challenged multiple times by Lek regarding his leadership. ** Culminated in a short fight that ended with Averii sparing Lek, at the cost of one of their eyes. ** Painfully settled their rivalry. * Often referred to Entra for advice, due to their prior partnership/friendship in the academy and his distrust of Lek. ** Led to a closer friendship and reliance, and eventually made her the formal second-in-command. * Served exclusively aboard the Viral Tank Vengeance. * Performed often in ship-boarding actions, with great lethality and efficiency mirrored in his later pirates. To Spend and to Waste Four years on in their service, and Squad 223 remained somewhere in the darkness that was the bottom of the chain of command. Though internal disputes in the team had been settled for some time, their status aboard the warship, and in the military (and by extension, society) as a whole often meant little more than the dirt they fought for with their blood, sweat and lives. Though feared by the enemy and their own servant-races, the average Nightmare Irken footsoldier was a pawn at best, and at worst was a sort of currency, dominated by the whims of their oftentimes corrupt commanders. The lives of soldiers, men and women both young and old, were constantly spent and wasted. Thus, in the midst of engagement after engagement in a sea of faceless warriors, failing equipment, and icily careless officers, Averii began to wonder about each fight. Were their losses necessary costs to win, or were they needless, preventable mistakes? Were they spent, or were they wasted? With this in mind, he wondered about his own team's well-being. Would they be spent, or wasted? Bringing his concerns to light with Squad 223, they, too, began to wonder about how they'd end their lives. Entra, especially, began to wonder, and between the stress of combat and the fear of death, started an exploratory, somewhat casual relationship with Averii. Then, an idea hit her one day. Why worry about being spent or wasted when they could become the ones controlling either thing? Filled with determination, Entra enlightened them, and together they began to climb the chain of command. They would refuse to be in the cost, and would instead aim to be the ones spending and wasting, rather than the ones spent and wasted. Notable Events, Facts, and Differences * N/A '''''To be completed at a later time. The Knife in the Back To be completed at a later time. Current Status To be completed at a later time. Appearance and Equipment of Note Physical Though they may look similar at a distance, Nightmare Averii would almost never be mistaken for the his Loyalist Prime-World counterpart. While 'Real' Averii would have scars of his own, and stands at a respectable height of 5'4", Nightmare Averii boasts far more scars, visible even on his face and in his eyes, and begins to tower over Ave at 5'11". It doesn't help that he's also quite a bit stronger due to the high-intensity training of the Nightmare Academy. It doesn't help that he lacks a set of organic eyes. In addition, this Ave has a faded and somewhat lifeless shade of green for skin. His antennae were also shredded and damaged in a training accident a while back. As the Shipmaster of the Wraiths, Averii eventually gained access to a set of cybernetic eyes compatible with his implants, however. While on the surface, they're a somewhat sinister black highlighted by red circuits, they're capable of various things, most notably the ability to mimic practically any form of Irken eyes, and then some. Notably, they're also capable of popping out and looking around on stalks, somewhat like a crab's; however, this is incredibly uncomfortable for Averii - which just adds to the fact that they were uncomfortable in the first place. As a result, Averii typically reserves his cyber-eyes for formal occasions, or for blending in. He's also got quite sharp teeth, and a ferocious bite to match in addition to some rather clawlike fingers. ''His lips are consequentially a bit scarred, most of the time. Notably, he's also tattooed the skull of the Wraiths on his right arm, and is actually lighter than 'Prime' Averii. He also has the freakish ability to bend anything on a joint in the ''opposite direction that they would normally bend, like twisting or bending his knees forward and beyond. Among other things, it makes it much harder for Averii's neck to be broken. Much harder. Clothing Typically, Averii wears armor at all times, in addition to bandages over his eyes. Normally, his regular wear tends to be a well-worn and signature set of armor - if it really is that - resembling the 'Prime' Averii's own suit. The head overall resembles his counterpart's helmet, but it seems to be made of a material disturbingly similar in appearance to flesh and bone, melded with metal - a sort of theme shared by many of the Arraakeen Wraiths. It features the singular red 'eye' seen also on prime-Ave's helm, but also has the unnerving addition of a set of very organic teeth set in a bone-like material. His torsopiece is host to more flesh, bone, and metal, as well as many jagged and rough spikes and scarring. Ribs jut out from the back of his armor, curving around to the front, and an odd insignia is emblazoned on the 'bone' of the chest. Beneath the bone and metal plating is a material that bears an uncanny resemblance to muscle. His armor set is more typically pure tech and metal, when it comes to his boots and gauntlets. They're also just as packed as his counterpart's, and then some. Notably, his armor, like the rest of the wraiths, seems to 'scream' when damaged, and bleed - and then, regenerate at an unnervingly fast rate, as if alive. When formality or blending in is a must, Nightmare Averii tends to wear a jacket similar to that of the 'True' Ave, and has various masks and fake sets of antennae to help disguise himself. In extreme situations, he's even been known to use military Phantom Suits to elude pursuers. Notably, he doesn't really like sleeves. Equipment Weapons In terms of firearms, Averii tends to carry at least one sidearm at all times; an ornate and well-maintained Laser Pistol, formerly owned by Captain Talbolt. It has served him well, unfortunately for many military operatives. Up close, Ave is very proficient with a Shock-Spear, moreso than the 'True' Ave, yet prefers to use something much more lethal - razor sharp 'Lightning Claws' built right into his gauntlets, similar to the Stun Claws seen in the 'Prime' realities. In conjunction with enhanced thrusters, this allows him to spiral around with ease, and tear into the enemy with well-practiced strength and precision. In addition to this, he's packed all kinds of tech and gadgets into his armor, on par with his counterpart. Miscellaneous N/A Personality Essentially, Nightmare Averii can be described as a more unhinged and aggressive individual than his 'Prime' Counterpart, with his own quirks and exaggerated traits, such as a dislike of bright light. By 'more unhinged and aggressive', it's mean that where Averii may simply shoot you or stab you, Nightmare Averii will, well, get a bit worked up, and may tear you limb from limb in a frenzy. That, or simply punch right through you. Granted, 'Prime' Ave is liable to do something similar. Then again, Nightmare Ave tends to do it regularly. Section Incomplete. Notable Relationships Nightmare Irk as a whole N/A Entra (Nightmare) Originally just sparring partners following his slaying of (Nightmare) Lurch in the Arena, Averii and Entra soon began a friendly rivalry that has gone on strong, even to this day as co-leaders of the Arraakeen Wraiths. In addition to this, she's also the only reason he's not still serving the festering, corrupted Empire, having convinced him to start climbing up the chain, with more than a bit of subtle (and not-so-subtle) persuasion and manipulation as ideas sparked in her mind. Thus, she started her game of planning and climbing, with her pawns growing in number as she continued to Manipulate. It was eventually Manipulation that somewhat backfired when Ave decided to start a revolt and wrestle the ship away from their Captain's cold, dead body, but Manipulation nonetheless. She forgave him later, however, after they actually succeeded in breaking away from the Empire. Despite his negative attitude towards her plotting at times, and well-grounded suspicions, he can't help but love the way she is, and despite her initial attempts to resist, she couldn't help herself from loving her then-favorite pawn, and came to see him more and more as a Rival again, and finally, as an Equal. As it stands, they have a working professional relationship - and a rather intimate personal one. Lek (Nightmare) N/A Averii ('True') Though he's never met him, Averii's Nightmare counterpart wonders occasionally what he is like, though generally disregards the 'True' world. He already has enough problems where he is. They may disagree in some areas, due to how Ave's a loyalist, and Nightmare Ave's a Space-Pirate-Rebel-type, but it's very possible they could get along, once they got around the 'same guy, different world' thing. Crew of the Revenant Though initially Ave saw them as tools during his revolt so long ago, to be manipulated into supporting him, over the subsequent decades Ave became rather fond of and attached to his crew. This has evolved to a point where he's often viewing them as family of a sort despite their kidnapping-centric recruiting methods, and he treats his men well (both as a personal habit and out of suggestion from Entra). As a result, he hold a deep respect and bond with his crew, and they hold a similar one with him; a key in maintaining the Arraakeen Wraiths as a group. Notable Quotes * "Oh, now would be a very good time to leave!" - ''Knowing when to run away. * "I didn't want to get up today, I told her, but ''NO, I had to visit this ROCK..." - ''Complaining, ''Hideously Idiotic Heist. * "I suddenly feel a multitude more expendable." - ''Gaining a sense of 'i am screwed' from a situation. * "Oh, 'YES."' - Averii on gaining massive advantages, or generally making his enemy scared, unhappy, or otherwise ill. * ''"Running, ''are we?" - Averii on hunting down a retreating enemy. * ''"You blew my 'COVER,' ruined my 'MISSION,' and... 'AND THEN THAT HORRIBLE HAIR!"' - Ave being rather unhappy as a result of Nightmare Lurk's antics interfering with his own objectives. * "I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY ANTENNAE LEFT, AND YOUR VOICE IS STILL SO ANNOYING I CAN'T EVEN-" * "Mit! Beam the Planet-Cracker in! ...YES, YOU GET TO BLOW UP ALL OF IT." * "I'll have you know he was my finest cook." - Post-mortem words on an unfortunate crewman. * "Now, how many times have I told you I love it when we blow things up?" - Ave on bonding methods. Themes Created to fit with the trend of giving one's characters a particular song as a theme, this section is dedicated to the tracks that fill the noise behind, well, this other Averii. Songs are organized by the source, IE, a Natural Selection Song will be listed under the Natural Selection category.Unless stated, none of these were created by Cravitus and are property of respective owners. Playlist available. DooM, DooM II - Robert Prince (Original). * The Healer Stalks (Classic) - ''Waiting, calm travel, boredom.'' DOOM (2016) - Mick Gordon *'Hell Walker - ''Main.' *'BFG Division - Intense. Fighting.' *'Argent Combat - Fighting.' *'Life on Mars - Calm, relaxation.' *'Hell on Mars - Panic.' *'Inhuman Frequency - Stealth.' *'Adrenaline Horror - Plans.' *'Rip and Tear - Ripping and Tearing.' Hitman: Contracts - Jesper Kyd *'Invader - Quiet work, tension.' Wolfenstein The New Order - Mick Gordon. * '''Main Menu - ''Loss, Failure.' Roleplays Canon * Hideously Idiotic Heist - Appears 1/3 or half of the way through - '''Completed' Other Facts * Nightmare Averii is actually older and taller than the 'Real' Averii, due to the former residing in a universe where time is roughly parallel to that of Z-14, and the latter residing in one that runs fifty years slower. * The idea of a Nightmare Averii has existed since August 2011, but only came to fruition in April 2015. * This page is very incomplete. Gallery AveNightEyeless.png AveNightElite2A.png AveNightmareC1.png AveNightElite2A.png AveNightElite2B.png AveNightmareC1B.png AveElite3N.png Category:Rogue Category:Wanted Category:Cravitus Universe Category:Nightmare Category:Fanon Category:Unfinished Category:Irkens Category:Dangerous Category:Males Category:Traitors Category:Defectives Category:Biography Category:Rebels Category:Space Pirates